Ending the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans

Given the government’s intention to advance the ban on new petrol and diesel car sales, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) recently sought opinions on how to best manage the transition to new vehicles and modes of transport to ensure the transport contribution to UK net zero targets.

This report is an overview of the Connected Places Catapult’s view on this matter, combined with the responses to a survey we conducted with industry partners.

The implications of the accelerated timescale for the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle ban are complex. Challenges arise from the maturity of replacement technologies, the broad ecosystem of stakeholders, and competing policy pressures, to name just a few. In order to focus on areas where Connected Places Catapult will add valuable insight to the conversation, we have opted to focus on the impacts on companies involved in service provision beyond OEMs, ensuring the wider market for supporting and associated services can grow in sync with the increased supply of EVs on UK roads and thus ensure contribution to the UK net zero targets.

Our summarised findings indicate that:

• Companies already have ambition to move to EVs;
• Some companies are already trialling EVs; and
• Some companies are developing their business strategies around EV use.

However, there is a need for the government to support this transition with investment, incentives, guidance and changes to policy and regulation to make this transition both smoother and quicker than would otherwise be the case. Connected Places Catapult recognise the challenges with this transition, and our capabilities and experience in this area also mean that we are an excellent position to support both OLEV and industry make this transition.

Download the full report here: